Deputies of YABLOKO - members of the Russian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe initiated a draft resolution on the Grigory Pasko case.

 According to the member of the Russian delegation from the Yabloko faction, Alexander Shishlov, this document calls on the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation "to release military journalist Grigory Pasko until the examination of his appeal by the Military Board of the Supreme Court."

 The draft resolution also calls on the Supreme Court to "consider the appeal as soon as possible".

 Military journalist Grigory Pasko was convicted by the Military Court of the Pacific Fleet to four years imprisonment on the charge of state treason in the form of espionage. The journalist pleaded not guilty. A number of Russian human rights organisations support the journalist.

 The draft resolution also commissions the PACE Commission for Legal Issues and Human Rights to "carefully monitor the Pasko case and prepare a corresponding report to the next session of the Assembly."

 In addition to Alexander Shishlov and Tatyana Yarigina (YABLOKO), a draft resolution was signed by Sergei Kovalyov (the Union of Right-Wing Forces) and representatives of the delegations from Hungary, the Netherlands, Estonia, Ukraine, Germany and Lithuania.

 Alexander Shishlov also explained that the January session of PACE would not discuss this draft at present, as there is a certain procedure that should be followed for the preparation of such documents and their submission to the European parliament.

 See also:

Draft Resolution of PACE on the Grigory Pasko case. January 23, 2002

 Grigory Pasko case